


Better Late Than Never

by literaryoblivion



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Dating, Fluff, M/M, Original Character(s), Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 19:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5597218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean is desperate for a job and winds up being employed as an elf at the mall during Christmas. It's while dressed as an elf, ears, pointy shoes and all, that he sees the man he had been in love with five years ago and always regretted not asking out.</p><p>Five years later Castiel hasn't changed, except for the fact he's in line to see Santa with his kid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Late Than Never

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lemonsorbae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonsorbae/gifts).



> This is for my darling Fea as a super belated Christmas present. (If I post it before the new year, it's totally cool, yeah?) I hope you had a wonderful holiday and a happy new year.

Dean is… well he’s between jobs at the moment, but he’s _fine_. Okay. He can get by on his own with the tiny bit of savings he has.

The problem is, he isn’t on his own…

No, Sam’s kind of counting on him since he’s in school full-time, and someone has to pay the rent, and the last thing Dean wants to do is stress Sam out by making him feel he has to get a job to help out. So Dean tells Sam a partial truth: That he got laid off from his job, but that it’s okay because he’s already got a job lined up.

That last part is the lie.

He has nothing, and if Dean is being truthful, he’s kind of desperate, so he’s willing to do just about anything. It’s about a month before Christmas, which means there are plenty of stores hiring for seasonal help, so Dean picks up a job at the local hardware store. But, he’s just not getting enough hours to earn what he needs to pay the bills and he needs something else.

He ventures to the mall, hoping to find another seasonal job, and that’s when he sees it. The line of kids waiting to see Santa, who just so happens to have an advertisement near him requesting help.

And well, if Dean decides to go for it because he doesn’t mind the kiddos, how bad could it be?

~

The job is awful. 

Mainly because they’ve forced Dean to wear a freaking hat with elf ears and pointy shoes _and tights_. Tights!

Every shift Dean works, he prays to God no one he knows will see him like this. For the most part, he thinks he’s fine. He doesn’t know anyone who has small children who would want to take them to see a mall Santa, but that doesn’t mean his friends wouldn’t happen upon him while shopping.

So, Dean does his best to keep his head down, keeps his back towards the crowds and passersby, and only talks to the kids he’s helping up into Santa’s lap and not the parents who are probably judging him or taking pity on him or something.

Of course, despite all of Dean’s precautions, it is inevitable he’ll run into somebody, and run into somebody he does.

A somebody he hasn’t seen in at least five years. A somebody that he had the hugest crush on but was too chicken-shit to actually do anything about, and now that somebody was waiting in line with a kid to see Santa.

Dean knows five years is a long time, but he’s kind of surprised Castiel has a kid already, considering how old the kid looks to be. Of course, maybe Cas adopted her, or there’s some yours, mine, ours scenario going on with Cas’s current significant other. Whatever the case, it kind of hurts to see Cas standing in line with a kid that is probably his, looking adoringly at the little girl like she’s precious.

It makes Dean regret not asking Cas out all those years ago because that little girl could have been theirs, but instead Dean is dressed as an elf trying to make ends meet while he helps his little brother finish school. As much as Dean didn’t want to be seen by his friends, seeing Castiel is somehow worse. All he can hope for is that Cas doesn’t recognize him when he moves up in line, and maybe if Dean is lucky, he can take his break before Cas gets to the front of the line.

Of course Dean is not that lucky, and he’s not allowed to take his break for another hour, and he notices Castiel giving him squinty eyes like he’s trying to see if Dean is who he thinks he is once he’s the 5th person in line.

For what it’s worth though, Castiel doesn’t say anything when he and his little girl are next in line, and Dean does what he’s been doing, refuses to look at Castiel and instead looks at the girl with a smile and asks if she’s ready to see Santa.

When the little girl nods and gives him a hesitant smile, he extends his hand for her to take and walks her to the man in the bright red suit. He tries to avoid looking at Castiel, but he catches a small smile from him out of the corner of his eye. He’s pretty sure it’s for the little girl and not him though, so he continues to do his job.

He helps the little girl up onto Santa’s lap and stands off to the side, half-listening while the little girl, Molly, tells Santa she would like an Elsa doll and a new dress and a few other things for Christmas. When it sounds like she’s about done, Dean directs her to the camera so they can take a picture and helps her off Santa’s lap and leads her back to Castiel.

“Thank you, Mr. Elf,” Molly says.

“You’re welcome.” He turns to finally face Castiel and hopes that his face conveys the mask of professionalism he’s going for. “Pictures are $20 and are available for purchase at the entrance.”

Castiel smiles and nods in understanding. “Thank you, Dean,” he says, and then guides Molly out of line and back towards the pictures. 

Dean stands there, mouth open and in shock because Castiel recognized him, remembered his name, and then just walked away! What the hell is Dean supposed to do with that?

Ignore it, obviously. He snaps out of it when the next kid is impatiently hitting his leg telling Dean it’s his turn now and to take him to Santa. It takes everything in him to not roll his eyes because the parent of the child looks just as angry and impatient as the kid, so he pastes on a fake smile and takes the kid to Santa. He carries on and pushes the odd experience with Castiel to the back of his mind and counts down the minutes until he can take his break and then how much longer his shift will be.

The next day, he’s mostly forgotten about seeing Castiel and all the emotions and experiences seeing him brought about. He’s just gotten to take his break after six hours of dealing with both lovely and aggravating children and their equally frustrating parents, and he plans on spending it with a big cheeseburger in the corner of the food court--sans elf ears.

He’s on his way to said food court, regretting that his shoes are in his car and he only has fifteen minutes to eat and then go back to work and therefore can’t ditch the pointy shoes, when he hears his name being called behind him.

He turns thinking it’s a fellow elf reminding him of when he needs to be back, but instead he sees Castiel, jogging to catch up with him.

“Uh…” Dean says, ‘cause he’s smooth like that, watching as Cas catches up to him and stands in front of him. He looks like he did yesterday, slightly rumpled suit and tie, tan trenchcoat, only this time he’s alone. 

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel says with a smile. “It’s been a while.” Cas ducks his head a little, and god, this is why Dean fell for Cas all those years ago--his ability to be both confident and bashful at the same time.

“Hey there, Cas. How’ve you been?” Dean says after clearing his throat of any emotions his thoughts may have dredged up.

“Good. Are you… are you off of work?”

“Oh, uh, no just on break. I was heading to grab a bite to eat. Do you… want to join me? Catch up?” Dean offers.

Castiel smiles and nods. “I’d love to.”

The food court isn’t too far away, but Dean feels awkward and doesn’t quite know what to say or ask Castiel, and of course Cas is still the mostly silent type and doesn’t say anything either, just walks side-by-side with Dean. He even stands and waits with Dean while Dean orders a burger and fries and shakes his head when Dean asks if he wants anything.

Once he has his tray of food in hand, Dean gestures with his head towards an empty table, and Castiel follows, sitting down across from Dean.

“So, what have you been doing for the last five years?” Dean says, to finally get the conversation started. 

Castiel shrugs. “I spent some time abroad, but I just recently moved back in the area to take care of my family.” 

“The little girl from yesterday? Molly, was it?" 

Castiel smiles, one that’s fond and gorgeous and it kind of breaks Dean’s heart. “Molly. She’s my niece. My sister has been sick and hasn’t been doing very well, so I moved in with her to help take care of Molly since her father ran out on them a few years ago.”

“Your niece?” Dean chokes out, trying not to spit out the bite of food he has in his mouth.

Cas nods, looks up at Dean, brows furrowed. “Yes?”

“Oh. That’s… okay. When I saw you yesterday, I thought she was…”

“My daughter?”

Dean shrugs, sure his face conveys that’s exactly what he thought.

Castiel opens his mouth in understanding. “That explains why you refused to look at me yesterday. I would have corrected your mistake yesterday if you had asked, but I thought maybe you didn’t recognize me.”

“Oh, no. I definitely recognized you. How could I forget you, Cas?”

There’s a faint blush on Cas’s cheeks, and it makes Dean want to kiss him. “Well, let me correct some of the assumptions you probably made then. Molly is my niece; I’m living with my sister until I can find a place of my own, and I’m not married or dating anyone for that matter.”

“Oh. Well… that’s… good.”

“What about you? Are you, um, dating anyone or married with kids?” For the first time since this entire interaction, Castiel looks hesitant and scared.

Dean grins. “None of the above. Just living with my little brother Sam, while he goes to school.”

“Well, that’s good.” Castiel looks down at the table, like he’s trying to figure out what else to say.

Dean hums and looks down at his watch, disappointed that he only has about three minutes before he has to don the elf ears and get back to work.

Regrettably, Dean stands from the table. “It’s been good seeing you, Cas, but I gotta get back to work unfortunately.”

Cas nods and stands as well. He opens his mouth as if he wants to say something, but he watches as Dean throws his trash away.

Dean doesn’t know what to do either, and it feels like he’s just repeating his mistake from five years ago, and he should say something, he should ask Cas out. He’s getting a second chance and if he lets this moment pass him by again, he’s going to regret it forever, even more than the first time around. 

He walks back to Castiel, who’s still standing by the table, looking at the ground, looking like he might be regretting not saying anything either.

“Heya, Cas?” Dean says, and at the sound of his voice, Cas’s head snaps up.

“Yes, Dean?” 

“I get off of my shift in a few hours. Want to go get a proper dinner with me then? I mean if you don’t already have plans?”

Cas’s lips curl up. “Like a date?”

Dean thinks about saying no, that he just wants to catch up more with Cas as friends, but then he sees Cas’s face, the look of hope and excitement very evident.

“Yes,” he says, confident, “definitely like a date. Do you want to go on a date with me, Cas?”

The smile on Cas’s face is blinding. “I’ve been waiting five years for you to ask me that.”

Dean chuckles and blushes. “Guess better late than never, huh?” 

“Indeed.”

He gives Cas the exact time his shift ends, and Cas promises to be there waiting for him for their date. He has to rush back to the Santa village, and he’s late, but it’s totally worth it.

~ 

His date with Cas is wonderful, ends with a kiss and by the time Dean no longer is an elf, he and Cas are very firmly boyfriends. (And he even ends up finding a full-time job that pays more than his old one!) His Christmas season might have started out low, but it ends high and with the promise it’ll continue through the new year.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [my tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or [my twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


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